In 1985 Jack Marino produced his first motion picture through his
own company, Spartanfilms Limited Productions. The film was distributed at the AFM
by Shapiro Entertainment, and soon became a profitable venture for both the filmmakers
and the investors.

I created this web page both to tell my story and to inform first
time filmmakers of what may lie before them, and what being a truly independent "warriorfilmmaker"
is all about.

Shortly after my wife and I left Boston and arrived in Hollywood
in 1980, a few of us started our first production company - Spartan Productions,
Inc. After two and a half years of writing and struggling to sell our scripts, we
decided to dissolve this, our first attempt at working within the system, and went
our separate ways in order to pursue independent acting and writing careers.

Insofar as I had no film school training or any kind of connections
within the studio system, I was convinced that the only way I would ever make a film
was to get the financial backing myself. In the meantime, I worked many odd jobs
while trying to pursue an acting career that I had started in my undergraduate days
at Northeastern University in Boston.

As 1984 approached, my former associates and I got back together
and formed a new production company, Spartanfilms, Ltd. I had recently developed
a story idea and title for a new action film, KILLZONE. None of us at the time had
any money to speak of, nor did we have the connections to attract the financing for
such an ambitious project.

It was at this time that my parents came out from Boston to visit
their first grandchild, and I informed my father, John Marino, of my crazy ambition
to make an independent action film for something between $50,000 to $100,000.

I am proud to say that my father, who was and still is the biggest
supporter of my filmmaking dream, became the very first investor, writing me a check
for $1000.00. This one act would be the spark that would ignite not only the success
of KILLZONE , but all my future films and the films that my former partners would
eventually produce and direct - together with their many companies and the countless
people who were influenced by the extraordinary way in which we pulled this project
off.

This one investment gave me the confidence to call the rest of
my relatives, friends from high school, college, and the business world, asking them
to back me in my first producing effort. To my surprise, the investment checks started
flowing in. It took six months to raise enough money to begin shooting in September
of 1984. KILLZONE was then completed the following February and was premiered successfully
at the 1985 American Film Market in Los Angeles by Shapiro Entertainment.

Thirteen years later (1998), a KILLZONE Alumnus, Actor Chris Tashima,
won an Oscar at the 70th Academy Awards for Best live-action short. "VISAS AND
VIRTUE" , which he wrote, produced, directed and appeared in. Heartiest congratulations
Chris!! I always felt something good would come out of KILLZONE.

Hollywood is truly an amazing place. I have always wondered how
many films and careers connected with KILLZONE would have been altered had my father
never written that first $1,000.00 check.

- Producer Jack Marino

I first met Victor Alexander in May
of 1984. My partners and I hired him as our Director of Photography and eventually
I asked him to edit the film. He brought to this project a complete mini-studio -
a full camera and lighting package, editing and lab equipment, together with his
years experience and a love of filmmaking that inspired everyone he met. Working
with Victor on this film was like going to four years of film school.

As President of Spartanfilms, I decided
to make him an equal partner in KILLZONE so he would be with us in future projects.
I believed that his experience and equipment company, American Victor Organization,
would be a great asset for both our companies

I always want to thank Victor for
the many years that he has been a friend to me and my family. When the split occurred
within Spartanfilms with the other two partners, he remained loyal to me and to the
plans we had set down for us to achieve. We were both determined to make better quality
films from this point onward. Our biggest problem was getting funded for our individual
projects. However, in the meantime, Victor and I had to work on many different projects
to support our families.

I look forward to the day when I will
produce and direct my next film. On this project , Victor will be my director of
photography. Again I look forward to working with him, and creating a film that we
can both be proud of.